Humiliation
by tomboy14
Summary: -Somewhat sequel to Mortification- Zuko, after defeating Katara in a pai sho match, is taking his revenge for his mortifying "Tea Boy" incident last month. Katara is not happy, to say the least, but her honor and sense of duty see her following through.


**AN: The first one got so much love that I had to write a sequel. So go check out "Mortification." Don't worry, it's a quick read :)**

**Disclaimer: All rights to the respective owners.**

* * *

"You're kidding me, right?" Katara plopped down on her bed in the Fire Nation Palace, awestruck.

"Payback's a bitch." Zuko smirked.

"But no one saw you in your little 'Tea Boy' outfit except for me last time. And Toph, but you know she can't _see…_"

Zuko shook his head in mock disappointment, _tsk_ing at her ignorance in the art of humiliation while maintaining a face-splitting grin.

"Zuko!"

"Well, we could always take this to my private chambers…" He joked rather convincingly with a suggestive raise of his eyebrow. If Katara's very red face was any hint of his abilities, tonight would surely be the longest night of her life.

"Okay. So long as I don't have to do this in front of my _brother_." She shivered, imagining his response to her unfortunate task.

Zuko's grin grew, if that were possible. "Be ready by seven then." And he bowed quickly before exiting her room, a new spring in his step.

Katara knew that Zuko had been getting lessons in the art of evil from Toph, yet she had still persisted in making that bet during a heated pai sho game. Zuko must have learned a thing or two from Iroh, and thoroughly duped her into a false sense of confidence before crushing her in the game. He had been waiting to get his revenge on Katara after his mortification incident last month, buying his time for the perfect opportunity. Who said Zuko didn't think things through?

And the punishment had backed her into a corner, between a rock and a hard place. Either humiliate herself in front of her friends and family and escape some of the more lewd comments from a certain fire bender, or save herself the public humiliation and go about her task privately with Zuko, surely to hear his less censored observations. Her pride made her choose the latter. It was bad enough that Toph knew about it (what dirt did she not know—pun intended), the others would make this worse.

Seven o'clock would come too soon.

Katara didn't even know if she could make it down to dinner and face the subtle jabs at her from Zuko and Toph. Aang and Suki would surely pick up on it, but knowing their hate of confrontation (especially the former's), they would say nothing. And Sokka…would be Sokka. If there was meat, his brain was gone. But if anything, Katara was not a coward. So she put on her best game face and walked down to dinner with an even step that hid her slightly quickened heartbeat.

The gang was, unfortunately, all assembled.

And Zuko and Toph were grinning conspiratorially like true evil geniuses. Which, in this case, they were. Katara's step faltered as she met their combined gaze, and their grins widened at her lapse in a poker face. Not that Toph couldn't already sense what she was hiding under that cool exterior. Katara sat down quickly in her usual spot, unfortunately right between the evil duo.

"Well, Katara, you seem to be anxious! I wonder what has caused this…" Toph quipped, throwing in a wink from a sightless eye for good measure.

Zuko looked like the kangaroo cat that caught the koala canary.

Luckily, as predicted, the other three were oblivious.

And so went dinner.

Zuko and Toph were throwing barb after barb at the constantly blushing water bender who was currently biting her lower lip in a (poor) attempt at containing her anger. As it was, all the liquids within the vicinity were swirling in their containers, giving an odd satisfaction to the evil masterminds.

But it ended, and before Katara could sigh in relief and flee the room to scream into her pillow in her chambers, Zuko leaned over and breathed against her ear, making her shiver. "See you in a few moments…" He taunted with a low chuckle unheard by their friends who were noisily chatting as they left the dining hall. Zuko joined them before Katara could even think clearly again.

And, moments later, Katara was making good use of that pillow in her room.

She went from a fit of anger into a fit of self-pitying, rolling onto her back, crossing her arms, and pouting like a young child that wasn't allowed seconds on their dessert. But, alas, Katara's sense of duty rivaled that of Zuko's and she swiftly changed into her costume, refusing to look in the mirror once before sprinting out in the hallway after making sure all was clear. Two quick raps on the fire lord's door, a lazy 'enter,' and she was in.

There lounged the infuriating Zuko on his four-posted bed, the size that of king's. Katara had to fight back the retort that all these oversized objects were compensating for something, knowing that comment would come to bite her in the ass in a few moments.

"You're here. Right on time. I'm surprised, I thought you'd chicken out." Zuko smirked, throwing his arms lazily behind his head. His golden gaze burned into her, like flames dancing back and forth.

"Yes, My Lord, I have arrived just as you instructed." Katara spat out in a barely civil manner.

"Excuse me? That tone is highly inappropriate to use with me considering you are, what is it called?"

Katara's fists clenched.

"Just a lowly Water Tribe peasant brought here to serve you, My Lord." She added a curtsy at the end of her statement.

"Yes, that is it. _Peasant_," He rolled the word off his tongue. "I like the sound of that. I also like 'Personal Slave' just as well." Zuko sat up quickly, gracefully jumping off his bed and sauntering towards her with an overly proud raise to his chin, his steps too self-assured and definitely that of royalty that thought too much of themselves. He stopped in front of her, those flaming eyes dancing playfully as they took her in.

"Well, Peasant, turn about and let me see your new attire." He clapped his hands, and Katara couldn't help but think this was 10 times worse than the punishment she had given him.

"For all his faults, my paternal great-grandfather did have a great fashion sense for the 'personal helpers' of the fire lord." He smirked.

Katara took a few deep breaths as she completed her 360 degree turn, forcing her anger down, her body cooling considerably. She noticed how cool the room felt in her attire, seeing as Zuko had decided to not light a fire in the room aside from the few sconces on the walls.

"And what will you have me do for you, My Lord?" She said in the calmest voice she had used all evening, far too calm as far as Zuko was concerned. He frowned at the sound of it, his brows furrowing.

Until he shrugged it past, and a truly sinister smile alighted his lips. His eyes changed from dancing flames to a full out inferno raging.

"I know just the thing…"

**

* * *

**

AN: I made up "kangaroo cat" and "koala canary." In Avatar, the creatures are always a combo of two seemingly incompatible animals. So I tried to play with the saying "the cat that caught the canary" while keeping that "hard c" sound in the saying.

**You can go ahead and imagine what she's wearing (it's obviously something that's skimpy enough to leave her chilly) and what Zuko is having her do. You can decide if it's something particularly humiliating for Katara, something that has Katara hell-bent on a new revenge, or something entitely X-rated (I wonder how many of you are already think option 3?). I have an idea in my mind, several in fact, for her first act as "Personal Slave." **

**A) Private waterbending performance/dance  
****B) Doing menial tasks while the gang are hidden away in the closet/secret hidden room/looking through peep holes in a portrait or something (except Toph who's sensing all this) and trying not to burst out laughing as they observe  
****C) Something not suitable for children's eyes**

**Share your ideas in a review, or tell me which one you like best (or combination)! Who knows, a continuation with the option that is most popular may be in store for you! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
